Margot Robbie Finally Confirms ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ Casting
Margot Robbie will play Sharon Tate — the murdered, pregnant wife of Roman Polanski — in Quentin Tarantino‘s upcoming Sony Pictures film “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” “Tarantino is one of my bucket-list directors,” she told IndieWire Tuesday afternoon at Hollywood’s Escape Hotel, while promoting her May 11 release “Terminal.” “As long as I can remember, I’ve been a huge Tarantino fan.”
Even as recently as Sony’s CinemaCon presentation, which brought DiCaprio and Tarantino on stage, the studio stopped short of confirming Robbie’s participation. Also joining the cast are Burt Reynolds, Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, and Michael Madsen.
However, the 2018 Best Actress nominee (“I, Tonya”) said what she wants most is the on-set access the role provides her. “Beyond anything, I’ve just always wanted to see him work. And I want to see how he runs a set, and how he directs people, and what the vibe is onset, and what’s in the script, and then what happens on the day. I’m just fascinated by all of it, fascinated. So it’s going to be a crazy experience to witness it firsthand. It’s something I’ve always dreamed of doing.”
Set in 1969, the dramatized film will star Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt as the respective star and his stunt double on a TV Western. DiCaprio’s character, Rick Dalton, is Tate’s next-door neighbor.
“I feel a responsibility with every character I play, whether they’re fictional or real life,” said Robbie. “To play her right, play her truthfully, and kind of understand her emotional journey.”
In November 2017, after the downfall of Tarantino’s longtime producer Harvey Weinstein, Tarantino announced that he would take his next script to Sony. The two-time Best Screenplay Oscar-winner has said he will stop writing and directing after 10 films; “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” will be his ninth.
“I hope he changes his mind and keeps making movies,” said Robbie. “Ten? I don’t want just 10 Tarantino films.”
The film is expected to begin shooting later this year and Robbie said she is more than happy with her smaller part.
“I always want to play supporting roles,” she said. “I love not having the responsibility of a film rest on my shoulders. It’s terrifying. Like ‘Mary Queen of Scots,’ I’m like, ‘That’s Mary, Queen of Scots, and I get to play [Queen Elizabeth I],’ you know? That’s perfect for me. I get to work with an actress I adore, Saoirse [Ronan]. It’s scary when the title of the film is your character’s name.”
Sony will release “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” on August 9, 2019.
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